Laurie Hernandez’s Ceremonial First Pitch Is a Tough Act to Beat

There were a lot of memorable athletes who competed in this year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but one of my favorites was Laurie Hernandez of the US Women’s Gymnastics Team.

Laurie helped the US women’s team to win gold in the team all-around finals as well as winning individual silver on the balance beam. At 16, Laurie was the youngest member of the “Final Five”, but she conducted herself with a grace and maturity that some people my age can’t even pull off. Yet she still managed to be probably the sassiest gymnast in the competition. Her wink to the judges before starting her floor routine has got to be one of the most giffed moments from the Olympics.

She also is one of the most adorable people I have ever seen, literally ever, as demonstrated by this photoset where she imitates emojis.

So imagine my glee when Laurie got to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at last night’s game between the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals. It combines two things I love: women’s gymnastics (specifically Laurie) and baseball (specifically the Mets). Laurie, a native of New Jersey, is not the world’s best pitcher (she doesn’t have to be, have you seen her beam routine?), but I think others will have a hard act to follow after her flippin’ good performance.

.@lzhernandez02 of @USAGym pretty much nailed her first pitch. #Mets. https://t.co/Exggt58F3s 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/70z7I4p25o

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 4, 2016

The poise and eloquence she showcased at the Olympics were present when she spoke to the commentators from SNY (one of New York’s local sports networks) about competing.

Laurie’s next challenge will be season 23 of Dancing with the Stars, a show I have never watched before and now may have to, just because of her. She is paired with Valentin Chmerkovskiy. Dancing with the Stars premieres next Monday, September 12. Go, Laurie! I’ll be rooting for you!

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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